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Listeria
Incubation period
3-70 days
Symptoms
Fever, stiff neck, confusion, weakness, vomiting, sometimes preceded by diarrhea
Duration of Illness
Days to weeks
Who's at risk?
• Older adults
• Pregnant women
• People with weakened immune systems
• Organ transplant patients who are receiving drugs to prevent the body from
rejecting the organ
• People with certain diseases, such as:
- HIV/AIDS or other autoimmune diseases
- Cancer
- End-stage renal disease
- Liver disease
- Alcoholism
- Diabetes
What do I do?
If you are very ill with fever or stiff neck, consult your doctor immediately.
Antibiotics given promptly can cure the infection and, in pregnant women,
can prevent infection of the fetus.
How do I prevent it?
• Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk, and do not eat foods that have unpasteurized milk in them.
• Wash hands, knives, countertops, and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.
• Rinse raw produce thoroughly under running tap water before eating.
• Keep uncooked meats, poultry, and seafood separate from vegetables, fruits, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods.
• Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as meat, poultry, or seafood to a safe internal temperature.
• Wash hands, knives, countertops, and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.
• Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.
• Persons in higher risk groups should heat hot dogs, cold cuts, and deli meats before eating them.
General Information
Listeria monocytogenes
(CDC) General information on diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and more.
Listeria monocytogenes
(USDA) General information plus directives and notices, compliance guidelines, and more.
Listeria Infections
(NIH MedlinePlus) Trusted health information on causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.
Multimedia Resources
Preventing Listeriosis In Pregnant Hispanic Women in the U.S.
(BOOKLET) A Community Educator's Guide To A Serious Foodborne Risk (available in Spanish and English)
The Dangers of Raw Milk
(VIDEO) Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk
Special Handling for Ready-to-Eat, Refrigerated Foods
(GRAPHIC) Reducing The Risk of Foodborne Listeria is As Easy As 1-2-3
Let’s Talk About Listeria (PODCAST)
(English Language Version) (Spanish Language Version)
Let’s Talk About Listeria (VIDEO)
(American Sign Language Version)
Maribel's Story: How eating Queso Fresco harmed her unborn baby
(FOTONOVELA)